


talk me down

by knightswatch



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Captain Kindaichi, First Kiss, Kyouhaba if you squint super hard, M/M, Third Years, ft. brief mentions of Kyoutani Knitting, or like if you know me at all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 06:26:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5732818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightswatch/pseuds/knightswatch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kindaichi huffs a little at the dismissal, leaning over the seat instead and resting his chin on Kunimi's shoulder, staring at his English notes, envious of how neat they are.</p><p>“I need to copy that,” he taps a phrase on the page, ending up with his arm wrapped around Kunimi's side to reach. Kunimi turns to glare at him only to seem surprised by how close together they are, a quick dusting of pink on his cheeks, lips parted just slightly around a soft sound.</p><p>It's not the first time Kindaichi has ever thought about kissing him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	talk me down

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shions_heart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shions_heart/gifts).



> Sy wanted these two hugging, so like, here.

It's not always easy to tell when Kunimi is having a bad day. Partially because his expressions give away very little about his actual emotional state—he always looks the same, with lidded eyes and his mouth drawn into a line, silently evaluating the world around him.

But Kindaichi, in three years of middle school, and now in their third year of high school, can tell. He's not entirely sure _what_ is on his best friend's mind, tugging his jersey on, the teal number 2 standing out bright on his chest, zipping his jacket up over it. He seems to be moving slower than usual, though—which, with Kunimi could mean a few things. 

He could've stayed up too late working on homework, they've both had plenty to keep them busy. In that case, the best course of action is to just let him be. He'll doze off on Kindaichi's shoulder with his headphones in as soon as they settle in on the bus. Kindaichi will spend the whole ride sitting as still as possible and pretending he doesn't hear the second-years giggling about how Kunimi has him whipped.

It's possible, though, that something else has Kunimi's shoulders sagging like they are now, that it's a bigger problem than just a late night or two. Kindaichi worries his teeth into his lower lip, following Kunimi to the bus, pausing before taking his seat to quickly count the heads he sees. Missing one, he sighs, stepping back off the bus and jogging back toward the locker room.

Being captain, as it turns out, is more work than Yahaba and Oikawa made it seem. He finds Ikki, their missing first-year, stuffing his school uniform in his bag so haphazardly that it won't even fit, and Kindaichi breathes out a relieved little sigh. “There you are!”

“S- sorry Kindaichi-san!” He squeaks, turning and pushing his glasses up quickly. He's gotten the feeling that a few of the first-years are still nervous around him, and Kindaichi takes a deep breath, relaxing his shoulders, doing his best to smile.

“It's okay, we just don't wanna leave you behind from our first official game,” he rubs the back of his neck, trying to think of something comforting to say. “Are you worried about playing against Karasuno?”

Ikki frowns, tilting his chin down before nodding his head. Kindaichi nods, patting the kid on the back and turning to tuck his uniform away more neatly. “That's okay, you know. I'm nervous too.”

Next to him, Ikki makes a soft scoffing noise, but his eyes dart up to Kindaichi's face like he's really considering that, taking the bag when Kindaichi passes it to him, scratching his cheek as they walk you. “You've been playing against them all three years, right?”

“Yup!” He smiles, bouncing down the stairs just a little quicker on his longer legs. He's stretching close to 190cm at this point—he can practically tuck Kunimi under his chin. Ikki leaps down the last set of stairs all at once, grinning widely when he lands. Kindaichi rolls his eyes, noting to himself why his glasses always seem broken and he's got bandages stuck to his legs. “We even beat them.”

“With Yahaba-san, right?” Ikki tilts his head, and Kindaichi nods but crosses his arms over his chest. “That was when you had the _super_ scary ace?”

“Kyoutani-kun,” Kindaichi chuckles, mostly at the description of Kyoutani as _scary_. The new group of first-years had only had one chance to meet former captain and ace, and without having seen him sprint away from the team to pet a dog or flush from head to toe whenever Yahaba praised him at something, or when he would sit on the bus with Yahaba asleep on his shoulder and _knit_ , he probably still seemed terrifying. “Yup. And once with Oikawa-san, before that.”

Ikki seems thoroughly distracted from his own fears, bounding up the steps of the bus to sit with his friends. Kindaichi gives Mizoguchi a little nod before dropping to sit next to Kunimi with a little sigh, running his fingers through his hair. Kunimi lifts his head, one eyebrow slightly raised, a smile hinting at the corners of his lips. “You make a good herding dog.”

“Shut up,” Kindaichi laughs, then pauses, reaching to the bottom of his bag and digging around for a moment before his fingers wrap around the plastic wrapping of a candy bar, pulling it out and handing it over to Kunimi. It's dark chocolate filled with salted caramel, something Kindaichi has always kept on hand since middle school in case Kunimi's blood sugar drops.

He doesn't quite _sparkle_ at being handed his favorite candy, but he does immediately unwrap it, taking a bite before looking at Kindaichi with narrowed eyes. “Why are you bribing me?”

“You seem down,” Kindaichi shrugs, settling back into his seat. Kunimi _doesn't_ have his headphones in, which rules out him trying to nap. He turns slightly away, ripping off another bite of candy and chewing it before pulling his notes out with a shrug. Kindaichi huffs a little at the dismissal, leaning over the seat instead and resting his chin on Kunimi's shoulder, staring at his English notes, envious of how neat they are.

“I need to copy that,” he taps a phrase on the page, ending up with his arm wrapped around Kunimi's side to reach. Kunimi turns to glare at him only to seem surprised by how close together they are, a quick dusting of pink on his cheeks, lips parted just slightly around a soft sound.

It's not the first time Kindaichi has ever thought about kissing him.

Early on, leaving middle school and into high school, it was in an idle sort of way. Hormonal. He wanted to kiss pretty much _everyone_ on the team at one point or another. But the desire has stuck around where Kunimi is concerned, and it's _much_ less idle. It's late nights wondering what Kunimi's breath would taste like if his lips are chapped like Kindaichi's usually are (Kunimi uses chapstick, maybe kissing him would be sweet).

He dwells on it too long, and Kunimi turns back to his notes and nods. “You can come over and study after the games.”

 

They make it through the first day and only run into Karasuno once before the matches start. It's, more than anything, become a playful sort of rivalry between their two teams, and maybe Kindaichi is just the littlest bit glad for the chance to razz Kageyama and his partner.

On the way back, Kunimi _does_ fall asleep on his shoulder, curled to the side in an effort to steal Kindaichi's warmth, cheek leaning on his hand, breathing soft and even. He doesn't shake him awake until everyone else is off the bus, and he keeps his speech down to lecturing everyone to eat a good dinner and get rest before riding the train home with Kunimi.

 

Kunimi's room is neater than usual, and the first thing he does is fall on the bed with a groan, throwing his arm over his eyes. Kindaichi stifles a laugh, taking a spot on the floor and pulling his notes out, rolling his eyes. “Didn't you wanna study?”

Kunimi, in response, throws a plastic chicken at him.

It sails wide of Kindaichi's head and bounces off the desk, knocking a stack of papers into his lap instead. Kindaichi laughs, looking down at them to gather them back into a pile, but a logo on top catches his attention.

In shiny gold ink, it's the logo of one of the school's Kindaichi was looking at but wasn't sure he'd ever be able to pass the entrance exams for—he wasn't Kyoutani or Oikawa and Iwaizumi who all got scouted by different universities to come play for them.

He blinks at the paper, leaning forward to study it more closely, curious.

It's a scholarship offer. For Kunimi.

It must click in Kunimi's mind what Kindaichi is looking at, because he bolts upright, faster than Kindaichi has seen him move in days, frowning. “Put it back.”

“This is really great,” Kindaichi waves the paper in the air, frowning at his best friend. “Why didn't you tell me?”

“I don't even know if I'm gonna say yes,” he crosses his arms, sinking into himself with a pout. 

“It's a full pre-med scholarship. Why wouldn't you say yes?”

Kunimi, for a long moment, says nothing at all. Then, in a voice quieter, than Kindaichi is expecting, he asks—“Where are you going?”

“I—haven't decided yet,” it doesn't matter, though because he doesn't have any letters like _this_ waiting at home. He looks back at Kunimi, narrowing his eyes. “ _That's_ why you're waiting?”

Kunimi glares at him, silent once again. Kindaichi sighs pushes himself up and drops the letter back on the desk, flopping over onto Kunimi and knocking him to the bed with his weight, wrapping both arms around his shoulders and rolling his eyes. “You're stupid.”

Rather than insult him back, Kunimi turns his head and kisses him full on the mouth, still pinned by Kindaichi's hug.

Turns out, he does taste a little like fruit.


End file.
